Description:
The only information about this picture comes from a legend on the back of it: Mrs. Vernon Hill father & n of [sic] Chester Claywell Mr. Lord. grocery [illegible] Specialty Shop [written vertically] DW Griffith It is featured in "Time was in Mineral Wells" on page 128 as "Birch McClendon Food Store, located at 211 Southeast 1st Street." The pointed light-bulb (and the collar of the clerk) suggests that it was photographed at the turn of the twentieth century.

Description:
This is a photograph of a building with a sign that says, "Famous Mineral Wells Crystal Plant." There is a hill, covered in trees, behind the building. Writing at the bottom of the image reads: "Where Famous Crystals Are Made." Ed Dismuke, a druggist from Waco, came to Mineral Wells for his health after his family physician told him he only had a "short time" to live. After miraculously regaining his health, which he credited to the mineral waters of his new hometown, he sold water by the drink at the Damron Hotel, later opening his own company, The Famous Water Company. He also opened The Famous Mineral Crystal Plant on the east side of Lake Pinto in partnership with local banker Cicero Smith. The two also organized The Mineral Wells Lakewood Park Scenic Railway with its two gasoline-powered "dinky cars" named "Esther" and "Susie" after Smith's daughters. This is a picture of the plant where Famous Crystals, labeled "Pronto Lax" were made. Dismuke had outlived the doctors who had told him he only had a short time to live when he died at the age of ninety-four.

Description:
Shown here is a bottle-shaped souvenir of Mineral Wells. It consists of fourteen folios, showing various views of the attractions found in Mineral Wells. The clothing of the people photographed suggests a date of the early twentieth century.

Description:
The Convention Hall, built in 1925 to accommodate the 1925 West Texas Chamber of Commerce Convention. An ice plant and electric plant built by Galbraith (owner of the Hexagon Hotel) had burned, and the rock foundation was used to build the Convention Hall. Demolition of the building began in 1975. A spokesman for the company tearing down the hall stated that the man who imported the London Bridge to Havasu City, Lake Havasu, Arizona, was interested in purchasing the rock foundation to restore an old fort at the London Bridge facility. This picture is featured in "Mini Edition" of "Time Was..." on page 34.

Description:
A holograph legend on the back of this picture states: "Tearing down Convention Hall 1976." The photograph illustrates the demolition of the building in full swing. Only the skeleton of the roof remains, and the walls are in ruins. This picture appears in Weaver's "TIME WAS in Mineral Wells" on page 186.

Description:
This photograph appears to have been taken in the Convention Hall. The date is unknown. It shows a display of various items on and around a stage. The title 'The Giant Penny' appears to be taken from an advertisement of Texas Power & Light that was popular in the middle decades of the twentieth century. The advertisement extols the amount of electricity that even one single cent will buy. The occasion that prompted this display might only be conjectured. Conjectures, however, are not only tiresome, but likely to be wrong, too. Therefore, none will be rehearsed here.

Description:
This photograph shows the Convention Hall, which was built in 1925 to accommodate the West Texas Chamber of Commerce Convention. The lack of signage on the front of the building--along with copious bunting--suggests that the photograph was taken at its dedication. The picture is featured in "Time There Once was", page 164. The Convention Hall was demolished in 1976.

Description:
This picture appears to be a label taken from a container of mineral water sold by the Texas Carlsbad Water Company. The label describes the water as "Purgative" and "Diuretic." DIRECTIONS state further: The average person requires from 8 to 12 glasses per day, but there are those who need less, and others for whom this quantity will not suffice. Hence drink such quantity as gives desired effect, be it small or great. One or two glasses taken hot, half hour before breakfast, will be found very effective. The label ends with the legend: This Label Censored [sic] by the Parker-Palo Pinto Co. Medical Society.

Description:
Photograph of the Civic League Island at Lake Mineral Wells, four miles east of Mineral Wells, Texas, with a rustic bridge connecting the two small islands, picnic tables, and grilles. In the foreground, there are two small boats with canopies, carrying passengers on the water of the lake. A forested shoreline is visible in the background of the image.

Description:
Three ladies (bearing bouquets), a man and a boy perch among the angular boulders of Penitentiary Hollow on the east side of Lake Mineral Wells. Their identities are unknown. This picture is probably a souvenir photograph, taken at some time during the late 1910's or early 1920's. The area gets its name from the widespread belief that cattle thieves were thought to be accustomed to cache their booty here, in preparation to driving it on to market. Therefore, anybody detected in this place (who could no give a good account of himself--it was usually a "he") was likely to find lodging in the nearest penitentiary.

Description:
The Firstron Building occupied the site of the Oxford Hotel (which burned down)and was itself replaced by the First National Bank (which moved away). The building burned in 1983. Lynch Plaza now [2012] occupies the site. The sign in front of the remains of the Firstron Building reads: Firstron Building OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT 325-4461 ROOM 300 It invites ironic comment. This picture appears in "Time Was in Mineral Wells", Second Edition, on page 186.

Description:
The only information about this photograph appears to be the written legends on it: [At its top] MW-4 AERIAL VIEW OF CAMP WOLTERS, TEXAS [At its bottom] PHOTO BY AERIAL PHOTO SERVICE KALAMAZOO--DALLAS 1B-H586 Camp Wolters was the predecessor of Fort Wolters in Mineral Wells.

Description:
Shown here is a photograph of the Paving Brick Plant. In the lower right-hand corner is the legend: Young Studio Mineral Wells, Tex." It was established in 1921; electrified in 1925-1926; the company was sold in 1927, re-named "Reliance Brick Company." It is featured in "Time Was in Mineral Wells on page 162. Electrification was accomplished when the Texas Power and Light Company furnished an abandoned 500 h.p. stream-power plant for the job. It was fed natural gas by means of the Upham Gas Company's line. In 1927, the plant was the largest of its kind west of the Mississippi River. It confined its production exclusively to vitrified shale material. The manager in 1927 has been identified as A. E. Eaton, who was also instrumental in locating the plant in Mineral Wells.

Description:
A view of the D.M. Howard store is shown here. It was located at 101 SE First Avenue. D.M. Howard was one of five brothers to come to Mineral Wells from North Carolina. D.M. Howard died on January 23 (a Saturday), 1910 at his home, following an operation for appendicitis. This building was occupied by J. M. Belcher (a furniture dealer)for many years after it had ceased to be the D.M. Howard store, and then by the R.& W Furniture store. It was eventually torn down in 1975 to make room for the Mineral Wells Savings and Loan--and for parking. This picture is featured in "Time Once Was in Mineral Wells" on page 122.

Description:
The D. M. Howard Department Store was once located at 101 SW 1st Street. This photograph illustrates its millinery department. The portly gentleman on the far left has been identified as D. M. Howard himself. The identities of the five ladies, the girl, and the remaining gentleman have not been discovered. If one may judge by the clothes of the people shown in the picture, it is conjectured that the photograph was taken within the first two decades of the twentieth century. Five Howard brothers came from North Carolina to settle in Palo Pinto County. D. M. was the first one to come He later sent for his other brothers. The first Howard buildings were at the northeast corner of Oak & Hubbard Streets, facing Hubbard. This picture is featured in "Time Once Was" on page 123.

Description:
Sam Whatley (left), representing Young Motor Company, presents a check to Mr. & Mrs. Evans Holland (right) for the winning slogan, "Cadillac Every Time for Better Motor Service." Sam was service manager for the motor company, located at 316 East Hubbard Street. The picture is featured in "Time Once was in Mineral Wells" on page 185.

Description:
This photograph shows of the early-day barber shops in Mineral Wells. The persons shown and the location of it are unknown. Please observe the point on the bottom of the best-illustrated light bulb. The "Customer" in the farthest chair has been conjectured to be a barber himself (there are three chairs shown), and he was posed in the chair for the sake of the photograph. Note also that the barber in the foreground is in shirt-sleeves--something virtually disallowed in 1906. There are two gas-lighted appliances, and several electric light-bulbs shown, one of which has an opaque bottom. A sign in the background reads "Baths 25 [cents]", meaning, perhaps, that facilities for bathing must lurk behind the partition. The room itself was located, it appears, in a re-modeled building whose place has not been determined. A legend on the photograph dates it to 1905; however, calendars in the picture show April. April 1st fell on a Sunday in 1906.

Description:
Shown here are Bill Garrett (left) and Walter Dalton (right), proprietors of Garrett & Walton Cold Drinks & Sandwiches. It was once located at 110 Southeast 1st Street. The picture was taken around 1920. It may be seen in "Time Was in Mineral Wells" on page 128.

Description:
This picture illustrates the building that housed the second Post Office in Mineral Wells. It was located at 2310 Southeast 1st Avenue. Note the men: Four of them are in shirt-sleeves, and two are properly dressed (for the era) in jackets. None exhibit the "Cowboy" image of the nineteenth century, so popular in the late twentieth century. Note also the complete lack of automobiles. The picture appears to have been taken possibly in the 1890's (?) It is featured in "Time was in Mineral Wells" on p. 149.

Description:
This picture shows the 100 block of what is now N. Oak Avenue, looking south. The "Palace Saloon" sign is still visible in 2008. The Palo Pinto County Courthouse Annex currently [2010] occupies the building that once housed Poston's Dry Goods (just down the street from the Palace Saloon). Please note the absence of trolley tracks--or the festoon of wires required to keep its power-line in place. The unpaved street dates the photograph prior to 1914, and probably prior to the previous picture.

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